This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. The Statistical Consulting Laboratory (SCL) is a University resource center that provides statistical support to researchers within the University community as well as researchers in the border region. As a component core of the Border Biomedical Research Center (BBRC), its main function is to provide statistical and consulting support to research carried out in the BBRC projects, that include Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Toxicology, Neuroscience and Metabolic Disorders, as well as the BBRC cores. The SCL will continue to provide statistical support to students in the graduate programs in the Department of Biological Sciences. The SCL has a fee structure for service to researchers outside of BBRC, but such service is offered free to BBRC researchers. Statistical support of BBRC research includes: 1) power computations and sample size determination;2) model specification and hypotheses formulation;3) checking model assumptions;4) deriving new methodology for analysis when appropriate;5) data analysis;6) interpretation of results and report writing;7) offering seminars on Applied Statistics to researchers;8) protocol review of grant proposals. Computing support includes hardware selection and maintenance, system administration, data back-ups, software and database development, and web design. Participants at SCL include a Ph.D. level full time statistician, and six tenure and tenure-track Ph.D. faculty members (including the Director) in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and in the department of Biological Sciences. These faculty members serve as resource statisticians/bioinformaticians. In addition, the SCL includes a medical doctor with expertise in epidemiology from the College of Health Sciences. Contribution of resource faculty and the Director is supported by course release to reduce teaching load, summer salary, computing equipment and travel to research conferences. Computing support is provided by a Systems Administrator shared with the Bioinformatics core who assists in hardware selection and maintenance, system administration, data back-ups, software and database development, and web design.